City of Dreams
by Teh Lotteh
Summary: When Luciana di Bella is transported to the city of Bellezza in Talia, she finds her life turned upside down. By day she lives like a princess in Venice; by night/day in Talia she is an everyday girl. But will her appearance affect Luciano?
1. Chapter 1: Home and Away

Luciana di Bella groaned as her alarm went off. Rolling over on her bed, she slapped her hand on the snooze button. Today might not be a school day, but as the the daughter of a Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, she had other chores to do. She dozed back off to sleep to be woken again by a knock on her door.

"Lucia, time to get up!" her mother cried. "Don't forget you have your meeting with Duke Florio!" Luciana bit back a retort to that. Florio was a young Duke who had recently inherited his father's title and now looking for a wife. He was nineteen, two years older than her. It was unfortunate for her that her parents wanted her to get married too, because the province of Tuscany was ruled by a woman and they wished for an heir after Luciana. Her mother, Francesca, was the current ruler, and Luciana, as the oldest daughter, would inherit.

"I'm up! Let me get dressed and I'll be with you!" Sighing, she got up and went over to her wardrobe.

***

Florio paced back and forth along his palazzo hall, anxious to see Lucia again. The two had been childhood friends, and had both attended the same school. Both Italian families had been against private schooling and had sent all their children to a public school instead.

"Your Grace," a servant said, opening a door. "May I present the Duchessina Luciana di Bella." He bowed out of the way and Luciana walked in. She was wearing a sky blue dress that came to just above her knees and high heeled sandals, and her black, curly hair was piled onto her head and fastened with a blue ribbon. Although the fashions were different in the 21st century, both families were based in the 18th.

"Ah, Luciana. It is so lovely of you to come and visit me here," Florio took her hand and raised it to his lips, gently kissing her. She smiled at him.

"And it is an honour to be here. I have missed the many days we spent together as children. And I must say, I'm very pleased that you have chosen to court me instead of the many other girls you could have chosen."

Florio di Khimici laughed and led her down to his gardens. His family was mainly situated in Florence, although he did have cousins in other places. The di Bella family lived in Venice and Siena. Luciana enjoyed the beauty of Venice, but she did love the horses in Siena. As a result, her family often swapped between the two. She sighed; this was going to be a long day.

"Oh Lucia, what makes you think I would fall for any girl but you?"

"I don't know.. But I never was the romantic type, you know."

"There's always time to start," he said. Before she could react, he had wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. She saw no reason to struggle, and so relaxed in his firm grip. Deep down, she knew that this was what she had always wanted - to be loved. But right now, she knew he wasn't the man for her.

The two passed the day away in each other's company. When at last it was time for her to go home, as the sun was setting, Florio pulled her to one side.

"Before you go, I would be honoured if you'd accept this gift." He handed her a little black box, tied with a blue silk bow. Confused, she untied it and opened. Florio grinned in delight as she gasped. Inside was a beautiful necklace, engraved with a metal lily that hung on a chain. He took it out and put it on her.

"It's beautiful!" she cried.

"I'm glad you like it. I bought it for you last time I went to England." They were interrupted by her chauffer beeping his horn, so she pecked him on the cheek and ran to the car.

***

Luciana ran in and slammed the door shut. She collapsed with her back against the door, crying. Deep down, she knew she was being fake in her happiness with him, and that made her feel bad. On the outside, she was a Duchessina, who must serve her country by doing the right things. And marrying a noble was one of them. Glancing at her clock, she noticed that it was 10:00pm. Sleep was what she wanted, and that was what she was going to get.

When she woke, she was in a dark room. She sat up too quickly, and had to clutch her head. As the dizziness passed, her eyes adjusted to her surroundings. The room seemed very well furnished, and arrayed with large paintings. She stood up and went to the window. Pulling back the curtain, she saw a sight that she knew. All the canals of Venice, as busy as always, with the sun beating down on them. She sighed in relief. For a moment, she thought it was one of those bad dreams.

She was disturbed by two voices approaching the room. Lucia dashed behind the door and listened.

"Are you sure you'll be alright, my lady? You don't need a cup of hot chocolate or anything?"

"No thank you Barbara. Today will be a busy day, so I'll just go and sleep a bit longer. Signor Rodolfo woke me up without much reason, so I can fall asleep easily. Really, don't worry!"

The door opened and Luciana pressed herself against the wall. A young lady dressed in a white silk dress and a silk mask closed the door behind her and walked over to a large bed in the middle. She turned round to her desk and screamed. Luciana had been seen.

***

Rodolfo was in his laboratory with his old friend William Dethridge and apprentice Luciano. They were still trying to figure out how to let Stravaganti travel from their original world to different cities, instead of just the one their talisman came from. When they thought that they had found a breakthrough they'd called Arianna down, but it turned out to be a fluke. So far, they had tried everything they could think of, but they hadn't got anywhere.

"Dottore, do you have any more suggestions?" Rodolfo asked, as he pulled up a chair and sat down.

"No, aye doo notte," Dr Dethridge replied. "Younge Lucian, do you?"

"Nope, absolutely no idea. When I stravagate back home, just by thinking of where to go in Islington I would wake up there. However, when the others have tried it for here it didn't work."

"Is it perhaps because you have more experience and have been properly trained?"

"I don't know, but all I can suggest is that we keep working at -" Luciano glanced up at the ceiling when a scream pierced the early morning. Rodolfo stood up, knocking over his chair. All three had recognised Arianna's voice. Luciano, as the youngest and more agile of the friends leapt up the stairs, three at a time. He burst into Arianna's room and drew his rapier and pointed it to the thing that Arianna was pointing at. He made a strange cough in surprise as he saw a young girl of his age, with black curly hair and wearing a simple strappy top and trousers.

"Rodolfo! Dad! I doubt this intruder is dangerous!" The girl stood up, nervously, but pleased that she could understand what these people were saying.

"Who are you?" she asked. "And where am I?"

Rodolfo and Dr Death appeared beside him. Rodolfo put his arm around Arianna and looked at the girl.

"Whatte is thys younge mayde doing heere?" Dethridge asked.

"Please," she pleaded. "This looks like home, but I can tell that this is not the place I live. It looks so like Italy, but it's not."

Luciano smiled. "Well, it appears we have a new member to our brotherhood."

"Ah yes," Rodolfo laughed. Arianna seemed to calm down, and stepped forward, holding her hand out to the girl.

"My name is Arianna Rossi, Duchessa of Bellezza. This country that we are in is Talia."

"I'm Luciana di Bella, Duchessina of Tuscany. I'm from Italy."

"Wait, Italy? I thought Stravaganti only came from England?" Luciano muttered.

"Maybe there is more to this than we thought," Rodolfo answered. "Lucia, may I call you that?"

"Sure," she stammered. 'If this is a dream, it's pretty realistic' she thought.

"Well, can you please show me anything different that you were holding when you went to sleep?"

Nervously, she lifted up the necklace that Florio had given her. She must have forgotten to take it off. "It was a gift from England, from my fiancé." she told him.

"And most certainly the talisman I took to England."

"Well, Lucia," Luciano grinned. "It appears we have a lot to talk to you about."


	2. Chapter 2: A pause for Thought

Luciana woke up suddenly. Once more, she questioned her sanity and whether this was a dream or not. But looking down, she saw the scratch she had received from slipping down the marble stairs. Today Florio had gone away to Bologna for his cousin's birthday, which meant that she had a free day away from him. Swinging out of bed, she got her jodhpurs from the wardrobe and got dressed.

Of all the beauty of Venice, the one thing she missed was the horses. And that was why she got a gondola trip down to the outskirts of town, hired a taxi and went to Siena, her family's other main residence. There she found her two older brothers playing tennis in the court. Archangelo, the eldest, was by far her favourite, although she also did like the other one, Carlo. Archangelo, or Angelo for short, was eight years older than her. Carlo was six years older, and her other brother, Matteo, was six years younger. She also had three sisters; Maria was eight, Tullia was six and the newest addition was Lana, six months old.

Angelo waved to her and promptly got hit on the head by the tennis ball.

"Hey sis! What brings you here? Fed up of all the younger kids? Or just wanted to see me?"

"Idiot. It's obviously me she prefers," Carlo teased, although he knew full well that Lucia preferred the elder.

"Actually, it was the horses I came for."

"Not thinking of entering th Palio, are you?" Carlo asked. The Palio was a vicious horse race, and with his sister's obsession with horses, he often wondered.

"Maybe, but I probably wouldn't be allowed. You know how protective our parents can be."

"I don't doubt that all our younger siblings make it more important to keep an eye on us reckless lot," Angelo said dramatically.

"Anyway, if I talk to you two any longer, I won't have any time riding!"

Luciana walked into the dark stables. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she smelled the familiar scent of horses, and heard a couple of them nicker to her. She made her way down the block, searching for the one she loved. There, she found him. The dapple-grey stallion, Osmento, stood proudly with his head over the stable door. The english stable-hand, Lizzy, must have guessed that Luciana would be riding today, because the tack was on the side.

She went into the door and gave him a quick groom, then tacked him up. Many other people wouldn't be happy with his tack, because his bridle had a curb chain underneath the chin groove for extra control, and also a martingale on the saddle to stop him from bolting and also for control. However, she had been tacking and riding almost as soon as she could walk, and so it was no daunting task to her.

She mounted from the floor outside, then turned him in the direction of the fields. Touching her heels to his ribs, she stood up in the stirrups for a good gallop up the countryside. She loved this path, with it's various logs and streams to jump, and also for it's scenery. At the forest, she slowed him to a gentle walk, and together they both let their minds wonder. For Osmento, he thought mainly about his food. But for Luciana, it was by far more complex.

In Bellezza yesterday, or last night, she corrected herself, she had been told that all Stravaganti had been called to Talia for a reason. She had asked what her's was, and no-one could tell her. The only special event when she was likely to be needed was that the Bellezzans were travelling to Bellona, the 'City of Dreams' as it was more commonly known. However, how could she go there? Her talisman would only take her to Bellezza. She had to face the facts. No-one, 400 years ago or now, could ever need her. She was useless.

Or maybe not. Luciano had told her to ring the other stravaganti and ask for advice. From what she could remember, there were four; Nick, who was Talian; Georgia, who loved horses; Sky; and Matt. She had remembered their numbers that Luciano told her, and she decided she would ring Georgia. It was Sunday, so unless they were at church, the time difference shouldn't be a problem.

"Hello?" Georgia asked when she answered the phone. Luciana was pleased that her parents had let her take English at school.

"Is that Georgia O'Grady?"

"It is," she replied warily. "May I ask who this is? Your accent sounds pretty weird."

"My name is Luciana di Bella. You probably don't know me. But you were recommended to me."

"No, I have no idea who you are. And will this take long? My friend Nick is about to teach me how to fence."

"Nick?!" Lucia couldn't believe her luck. "But that's wonderful! I was told to ring you by Luciano. You know, the stravagante. He told me you were one too."

Georgia was silent for so long thant Lucia thought she had fainted. Finally, there was muttering the other end. "Where do you stravagate to? What's your talisman? Who have you met? Who's your stravagante who took your talisman to our world? Where do you live?"

Lucia tried to translate these questions into her language to work out the answers. "I stravagate to Bellezza, using my necklace. "I have met Luciano, Arianna, Rodolfo, and Dr Dethridge. Rodolfo brought my talisman. I live in Venice."

"Italy? I thought stravaganti only came from England? Oh shoot - my credit's out. I'll call you back!" And then Lucia was left alone.


End file.
